Daily Prayer

Wednesday, 31 December 2014

T. S. Eliot writes, "We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time" (Little Gidding, Part V, "Four Quartets"). We return where we began, to the eternal embrace of Divine Love. We were formed by original blessing, but we've heard so often the story of "original sin" that we have to be reminded of our beginnings in beauty and union.

[Pastor / Author] Rob Bell shared at the Centre for Action and Contemplation’s CONSPIRE event this year how the Christian Creation narrative is uniquely hopeful. The creation poem in Genesis 1 is a "confrontive story," portraying something radically different than the common creation stories of its time; rather than "violence and destruction," the Genesis mythos shows "overflowing joy and creativity." Knowing we began as an expression of God's desire for relationship allows us to trust that life is headed somewhere good, into new forms of Love making itself known, oneing all things in a whole and expanding universe. As one Pauline translation puts it "The whole of creation is standing on tip toe to see the full revelation of the children of God" (Romans 8:19).

The story ends where it begins: in life and now even in "life more abundantly" (John 10:10). This Life came from "nowhere" (creatio ex nihilo) and now has my name upon it. From death--the small dyings to the False Self and our eventual physical death--comes resurrection into our True Self, who we have been all along but have simply forgotten. As you look back on a year almost ended and forward to a year about to begin, recall the ways in which God has been inviting you to return, again and again, to Love, which is the same as returning to God…”

Tuesday, 30 December 2014

I was recently browsing through a copy of Marina Warner’s recent publication Once Upon a Time: a Short History of Fairy Tale. I didn’t buy it, but retain a fascination in the literary genre that is the fairy tale. I was therefore interested in this recent review of Warner’s book and two others by Rowan Williams. The title of the review is the title of this post.

Here are William’s closing paragraphs:

“…The individual fairy tale is not itself a myth, but it presupposes a mythic framework of surprise, dependence or vulnerability, the balancing of anxiety with expectation: a thumbnail sketch of human experience in a bewildering natural and emotional environment.

Perhaps the problem with specific fairy tales becoming our shared myths, in the sense [Marina] Warner suggests, is that they turn so easily these days into dramas of the individual psyche with supernatural special effects: either leaving us in a world of paralysing moral ambiguity or (in the Disneyfied version) offering salvation through the discovery of unsuspected inner resources (we can all be what we most want to be). Against this, both the original fairy tales and the chaotic romance of the Arabic wonder stories present a world of sharper edges, larger shocks, and possibilities of unmerited help, as well as danger, from outside. And that, in one form or another, may turn out to be more like the mythology we really need.”

You can read the complete review here. For an excellent little book on Pan's Labyrinth try this title: Pan's Labyrinth (BFI Film Classics) Paperback – 25 Oct 2013

As we approach a new year, the following advice from Thomas Merton is something I’ll take into 2015 with me…

“…Why do we have to spend our lives striving to be something that we would never want to be, if only we knew what we wanted? Why do we waste our time doing things, which, if we only stopped to think about them, are just the opposite of what we were made for?

We cannot be ourselves unless we know ourselves. But self-knowledge is impossible when thoughtless and automatic activity keeps our souls in confusion. In order to know ourselves it is not necessary to cease all activity in order to think about ourselves. That would be useless, and would probably do most of us a great deal of harm. But we have to cut down our activity to the point where we can think calmly and reasonably about our actions. We cannot begin to know ourselves until we can see the real reasons why we do the things we do, and we cannot be ourselves until our actions correspond to our intentions, and our intentions are appropriate to our own situation. But that is enough. It is not necessary that we succeed in everything. A man who fails well is greater than one who succeeds badly.

We cannot be happy if we expect to live all the time at the highest peak of intensity. Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance and order and rhythm and harmony…”

Sunday, 28 December 2014

Very soon to be published. “…U2’s success and significance are due, in large part, to finding inventive, creative solutions for overcoming obstacles and moving past conventional boundaries. As it has embraced change and transformation over and over again, its fans and critics have come to value and expect this element of U2. These new essays from the disciplines of organizational communication, music theory, literary studies, religion, and cultural studies offer perspectives on several ways U2’s dynamic of change has been a constant theme throughout its career. The eight essays here come from the U2 Conference 2013, which explores the music, work, and influence of U2, furthering the scholarship on U2…” A follow up to this earlier publication that emerged from the 2009 U2 Conference.

Although an awfully expensive publication it does look interesting. However, for a 30% saving, see this post on the book by Steve Taylor (thanks Steve for that information and the "heads up" with respect to publication).

Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Tuesday, 23 December 2014

“…James Martin is a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America magazine. His books include The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything [ the only book of his that I have, and a very good book it is], Between Heaven and Mirth: Why Joy, Humor and Laughter are at the Heart of the Spiritual Life, and most recently Jesus: A Pilgrimage. He’s followed the calling of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit order, to “find God in all things” — and in 21st-century forms. To delve into Fr. Martin's way of being in the world is to discover the "spiritual exercises" St. Ignatius designed to be accessible to everyone more than six centuries ago. Also he offers his thoughts on the "un-taming" Christmas…”

You’ll find the very interesting On Being podcast here. The interviewer is Krista Tippett.

Saturday, 13 December 2014

Sounds True has featured three very thought-provoking conversations recently; ones I’ve valued listening too; ones that have resonated with a range of conversations I’ve been having lately.

The MindBody Code, Part 1

Mario Martinez is a clinical neuropsychologist and the founder of biocognitive science—a new paradigm that identifies complex discoveries of how our cultural beliefs affect our immune, nervous, and endocrine systems. He is the author of The MindBody Code. In the first half of a two-part interview, Mario spoke with Tami Simon about how our cultural assumptions can affect our health and well-being. They also talked about archetypal wounds of shame, betrayal, and abandonment—as well as their corresponding healing fields of honor, loyalty, and commitment. Finally, Mario and Tami spoke on what means to feel worthy of making meaningful change in one’s life. (61 minutes).

During the process of researching the roots of biocognitive science, neuropsychologist Mario Martinez interviewed dozens of centenarians—people who live healthily past 100. In the second part of their conversation about Mario’s new book, The MindBody Code: How to Change the Beliefs that Limit Your Health, Longevity, and Success, Mario and Tami Simon discussed these centenarians and the four essential beliefs that they all share. They also talked about the different ways that various cultures view aging and how these views impact health. Finally, Mario and Tami spoke on forgiveness and its potential to positively affect our well-being (61 minutes).

Erin Olivo, PhD, is a psychotherapist and assistant clinical professor of medical psychology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. With Sounds True, she has recently released the new book Wise Mind Living: Master Your Emotions, Transform Your Life. In this episode, Tami Simon and Erin discuss the evolutionary roots and value of our emotions. They also speak about the cyclical nature of emotions and how they can affect us in seemingly contradictory waves. Finally, Tami and Erin talk about how we approach emotional reactivity as parents—as well as ways to teach our children how to healthily approach their own emotions. (63 minutes).